Why Intel is suddenly bullish on Artificial Intelligence?

Intel is aggressively building advanced processor "platforms".

There is no denying the fact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one phenomenon that has stood out among other emerging technologies. Sensing great possibilities, global chip giant Intel has now joined the AI bandwagon in a big way. AI is not new to the world of technology but the past five years have given AI believers a reason to cheer as its uses are increasing across industries – from healthcare to autonomous vehicles — say AI experts at Intel.

“AI capabilities are greatly supplementing humans to do great work in less time in sectors like healthcare, banking and finance, transport, energy and robotics, etc. It will be interesting to see how this whole AI thing evolves with time,” Bob Rogers, Data Scientist, AI and Analytics, Data Center Group at Intel, told IANS. “But AI is not going to replace humans soon. Not in my lifetime at least. There will be apprehensions but this is true to any disrupting technology,” Rogers added.

Intel is aggressively building advanced processor “platforms” — from edge computing to Cloud that allows enterprises build intelligent solutions based on AI. Intel will soon introduce the world’s first family of AI-enabled “Nervana Neural Network Processor” (NNP) that aims to revolutionise AI computing. Intel has also collaborated with Facebook for sharing technical insights to bring the new generation of AI hardware to users. Using Intel Nervana technology, companies will be able to develop entirely new classes of AI applications that maximise the amount of data processed and enable customers to find greater insights — transforming their businesses.

“AI is in early stages but last five years have seen a tremendous rise. We may still be scratching the surface at the moment but wait for a lot more real-life AI applications as we introduce Nervana,” Amir Khosrowshahi, VP and CTO, Artificial Intelligence Products Group, Intel, told IANS. AI algorithms will become smarter as more data seeps in. Intel is tying the AI-ML knot to make the massive sets of data work for you,” he added on the sidelines of Intel “SHIFT” event here. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, believes that AI will bring significant new opportunities to transform businesses. To drive AI innovation, Intel is making strategic investments spanning technology, R&D and partnerships with business, government, academia and community groups.

“We have also invested in startups like Mighty AI, Data Robot and Lumiata and have invested more than $1 billion in companies that are helping to advance artificial intelligence,” Krzanich said recently. Edge computing is the next major step in the evolution of cloud and enterprise computing and Intel’s new “Movidius” chip aims to deliver processing power optimised for AI into edge devices, like cameras and industrial robots.

Intel has also acquired Mobileye — a global leader in the development of computer vision and machine learning, data analysis and mapping for autonomous driving. Intel’s Automated Driving Group (ADG) will combine its operations with Mobileye. The company estimates the vehicle systems, data and services market opportunity to be up to $70 billion by 2030. Intel acquired deep learning start-up Nervana Systems — led by former Qualcomm researcher Naveen Rao and co-founded by Khosrowshahi — last year. “On top of the Nervana processor, we have built a full stack of software libraries, machine learning innovations and solutions which can be applied to text, speech and other issues,” Khosrowshahi said.

To make its AI dream a success, Intel is also banking upon India. Intel India has trained 9,500 developers, students and professors across 90 organisations in the past six months in AI. The company has collaborated with 40 academic institutions that are using the technology for scientific research and 50 public and private organisations across e-commerce, healthcare, technology, defence, and banking and financial services. The move is reducing AI entry barriers for developers, data scientists and students through developer-focused events and ‘Code Modernisation’ workshops. “AI is just about to explode around you. Time to fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the journey with Intel,” Khosrowshahi said.